The focus of the automation technology for sheet metal bending robots is on the design of the mechanical arm and the computer system used to control it, involving the relevant applications of industrial robots as described in the following text.
Development of CNC Machine Tool Robotics
Industrial robot technology can be seen as a combination of numerical control (NC) technology and teleoperation technology. NC technology provides the concept of programmable industrial machines, while teleoperation technology provides the concept of mechanical arms. The first industrial robot capable of performing useful work was installed in 1961 for removing parts from a die-casting operation. Its development is mainly attributed to the efforts of American inventor George Devol and businessman Joseph Engel. Devol invented the design of programmable mechanical arms, which was patented in the United States in 1961. Engelberg worked with Devol's company to promote the application of robots in industry and established the first company at Robot University.
What is Industrial Robotics?
Robotics is based on two related technologies: numerical control (NC) and teleoperated numerical control (NC). It is a method of controlling machine tool axes by coding numbers on perforated tape or other media. It was developed in the late 1940s and early 1950s. In 1952, the first numerical control machine tool was demonstrated at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Subsequent research and development at MIT focused on the development of the APT (Automatic Programmed Tool) language for programming machine tools.
Development and History of Bending Robot
The telemanipulator for robot bending is a type of mechanical robotic hand. The initial development of telemanipulator for robot bending was based on the handling of radioactive materials in the early 1940s. In a typical scenario, a person moves the mechanical arm and hand at one location, and these movements are replicated by the robotic hand at another location.
Industrial Robots in Fully Automated Production: What is a Mechanical Arm?
The most widely accepted definition of an industrial robot is formulated by the Robotic Industries Association:
An industrial robot is a reprogrammable, multifunctional mechanical arm designed to move materials, parts, tools, or specialized devices through variable programmed motions to perform various tasks.
The mechanical arm of a robot bending machine is composed of a series of linkages and joints, where linkages are rigid components connecting joints. Joints (also known as axes) are the movable parts of the robot that can generate relative motion between adjacent linkages. Generally, CNC bending machines with six axes or more can be designed as robot bending machines.
